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Vietnam veteran recalls military memories

Jessicah Peters/Hardeeville TodayDavid Spisso, 69, spent 20 years as a Naval aviator and commissioned officer. He moved to Sun City North in 2010.

Courtesy of David SpissoDavid Spisso entered the U.S. Naval Academy after he graduated from high school in 1962.

Jessicah Peters/Hardeeville TodayDavid Spisso, 69, spent 20 years as a Naval aviator and commissioned officer. He moved to Sun City North in 2010.

The military was the only career choice for many young men graduating from high school in the 1960s.

But David Spisso did have a choice in which military branch to join. His pick was the Navy, following in the footsteps of his uncles.

It was the peak of the Vietnam War when Spisso attended the United States Naval Academy. When he graduated in 1967, it took him a little more than a year before he joined his first squadron as an aviator.

Spending the majority of his enlistment in the air, he was out at sea in search of submarines.

When the war ended, Spisso, like many others, didn’t feel like he was accepted by civilians.

“As a Vietnam-era veteran, people looked as us different,” Spisso said. “There were a lot of anti-war supporters and when I retired in 1987, I still felt unappreciated. It wasn’t until the Gulf War when people starting once again showing respect for servicemen and women.”

Spisso said when he thinks about Veterans Day, he often thinks of the “good old guys” who served in World War II and the Korean War.

“But I guess Vietnam veterans are becoming part that group too now,” Spisso said. “I’m very appreciative of the people who welcome and recognize the value of the contribution servicemen and women give.”

Spisso learned a lot from his time in the military. It wasn’t about self-discipline or commitment; instead, it was more about the value of friendship and camaraderie.

“It’s about teamwork and fellowship. Friendships made in the Navy are lasting. Some you just send a Christmas card to and others you try to see a couple times a year,” Spisso said. “I still continue to meet up with about six guys from my squadron and a few classmates when I go to Williamsburg.”

With a 25-year career in the military, Spisso received the opportunity to travel overseas. He lived in Japan, Bermuda and Italy. He was named a plankowner of the USS Dwight D. Eisenhower, as he helped build the ship in 1970.

As a native of New Jersey, Spisso joined the Navy and never looked back. He met his Southern belle, Martha, in Florida and married in 1971.

“Even she spent time in Vietnam as a Red Cross volunteer,” Spisso said. “The nice part about the Navy was that it wasn’t disruptive to my boys, but it was to Martha and I. We didn’t have Facebook or other technology… it was hand-written notes once a week.”

He retired as a college recruiter in 1987, settling down in Macon, Ga., where he raised his two sons, D.J. and Michael.

The couple now lives in Sun City North, with D.J. living nearby.

D.J. Spisso joined the Air Force after college. He and his dad received their wings from Naval Air Station Corpus Christi in Texas.

D.J. continues to serve in the Air Force at the Savannah/Hilton Head International Airport. After nearly 18 years in the military and serving tours in Afghanistan, D.J. knows the importance of honoring veterans.

“When you’re a young guy growing up you see the older guys and know they did the part, but don’t really understand their commitment,” D.J. said. “Having been deployed, it starts to take on a stronger meaning because you understand you got to where you are now because of those sacrifices before you. It doesn’t matter what year you served or for how long, it’s significant.”